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The back of the assisted living complex will face Edy Road while access to the retail portion is through a right-turn-only entrance along Highway 99W

The Sherwood Planning Commission has approved construction of a three­-story, 143,400­ square­-foot assisted living/memory care facility along with a 46,000­-square­-foot commercial retail/restaurant space.

Known as Cedar Creek Plaza, the mixed-use development known as Cedar Creek Plaza will be built to the south and west of the Providence Medical Group Sherwood building along Highway 99W and Edy Road.

The Deacon Development Group project was approved during a lengthy meeting on May 9 following extensive questioning by the Planning Commission who initially had concerns about mitigating the visual aesthetics of the project along both roadways as well as concerns about vehicle access into the plaza.

In the end, the commission approved plans (with conditions) submitted by Rembold Properties of Portland to build a 109-unit assisted living/20-unit memory care facility with the main access being along Edy Road directly across from Borchers Drive.

A stoplight is planned at Borchers and Edy as part of the development requirement for the senior living complex designed by Ankrom Moisan Architects, the same architectural firm that designed the Sherwood Center for the Arts.

Cedar Creek Plaza also calls for the construction of six free­standing commercial retail/restaurant buildings including a fast food restaurant with a drive ­thru as well as a sit­-down-­type restaurant (which would also will include a drive-thru window as well), according to representatives from Mackenzie, the architectural firm designing that portion of the project. Included in the complex will be a fitness or health club.

Access into the commercial/retail portion of the building will be through a right-turn-only entrance, part of a deceleration lane along southbound Highway 99W. That generated some discussion from planning commissioners, some of whom had hoped that a right-turn-only exit would also be added along southbound Highway 99W.

Commissioner Justin Kai expressed concerns about the single-exit plan, which will be onto Edy Road. "I can't think of single successful shopping center that has only a single (exit) point," he said. But plaza representatives said that adding an exit along Highway 99W would be expensive and potentially a deal breaker, noting if they didn't think it would be successful they wouldn't be building it.

Other highlights of the planned project and the commission meeting include:

• No named tenant yet for a 57,517­- square-­foot pad on the site, which developers had originally earmarked for a hotel. While a hotel hasn't been ruled out, another developer has approval to build a Hampton Inn a mile south at Highway 99W and Meinecke Road.

• Cedar Creek Plaza calls for a total of 499 parking spaces throughout the project with the footprint calling for occupying some of the parking spaces now used by Providence Medical Group.

• Some residents of Madeira Terrace and Houston Drive expressed concerns about increased traffic and safety issues through their neighborhoods. Plans call for placing a gate at the end of a spur road off of Edy Road (effectively the beginning of Madeira Terrace) which follows the edge of the assisted living complex before it turns right into the Madeira Terrace neighborhood. That gate will block access into the neighborhood – except for emergency vehicles -- at the location where the roadway jogs to the right.

• Planning commissioners had questions regarding the aesthetics of the retail/commercial buildings whose back walls will face Highway 99W. Commission Chairwoman Jean Simpson said "it just feels wrong" having the backs of the buildings face the highway. However, the developer and architect said those issues would be mitigated through the use of a variety of several different types of building materials as well as landscaping and vegetation.

The Planning Commission's approval now goes before the Sherwood City Council where another public hearing will be held.